White-winged scoter
White-winged scoter (Melanitta fusca)
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White-winged scoters (a.k.a. white-wings) are the largest of three North American scoters.
Appearance: Virtually no colour marking on either sex. The male has a white teardrop below the eye, an orange bill and a bright white speculum that contrasts markedly on the black wing. There is also a white speculum, albeit duller, on the drab-coloured female. Both have pinkish feet.
Breeding: Females often return to the same area to nest, and some even use the same next bowl years after year. Pairing begins during migration and is completed on the breeding grounds. Females lay 10 eggs and incubate them for 25 to 30 days.
Habitat: During breeding use freshwater and brackish lakes. During migration they stop over on large lakes, rivers and coastal estuaries - and prefer the shallow inshore waters of bays, estuaries and coastlines in the winter.
Range: White-winged scoters are one of the last species to migrate from their breeding grounds. In September, they fly in flocks of up to 300 on their way to the Pacific and Atlantic coasts. Down to Mexico on the west and Florida on the east coasts.
Diet: Divers. Amphipods comprise mostly of their summer diet, but also clams, mussels, snails and insects.
Status and conservation issues: There is a severe decline in the long term population trend across its breeding range, most of which is in the boreal forest.
Interesting facts: White-winged scoter flocks resemble long black strings in flight. Difficult to distinguish white-winged scoter from surf or black scoters from the air.